Union Songs

Mulrunji

A Song by John Tomlinson©John Tomlinson 2007

Mulrunji was killed by a big burley bullyman.
Throw the ball against the wall and back to me.
The policeman who did it said it must have been an accident.
Open up your eyes and tell me what you see.

The Rainbow Spirit made the world and Palm is a part of it.
Throw the ball against the wall and back to me.
Sometimes I wonder if Palm Island was an accident.
Open up your eyes and tell me what you see.

Each house in the town has 20 people living there.
Throw the ball against the wall and back to me.
Except for the whites, who all have room to spare.
Open up your eyes and tell me what you see.

The flowers in our garden are made of broken promises.
Throw the ball against the wall and back to me.
Politicians’ plans seem to miss the opportunities.
Open up your eyes and tell me what you see.

The eyes of Queensland are blind to the truth of it.
Throw the ball against the wall and back to me.
Help restore their sight, do you want to see the end of it.
Open up your eyes and tell me what you see.

The flowers in our garden are made of broken promises.
Throw the ball against the wall, you only know the half of it.
What happened on Palm Island could not have been an accident.
Open up your eyes and you might see the truth of it.

* This song is based on Colum Sands’ song The last house in our street.

Notes

Many thanks to John Tomlinson for permission to add this song to the Union Songs collection.

John writes
"As I write the police are threatening to march on Parliament to prevent their members being charged over this death in custody, the silly Nationals are arguing that the senior counsel who worked with Sir Lawrence Street to review the Public Prosecutor's decision not to charge Chris Hurley should not be the crown prosecutor in the case. It is nice to be back in the land of red necks and racists with the backs of their white hands dragging on the ground."

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